There’s no better way to gain insights into entrepreneurship and startups than by tapping into the knowledge of Israel, often referred to as the “Startup Nation.” Tonight, our CityU DBA alumni and students, and PolyU DBA’s friends had the privilege of sharing a dinner with Mr. Amir Lati, the Consul General of Israel to Hong Kong and Macau.

Being actively involved in the innovation and technology ecosystem, it was a true honor for me to meet Mr. Lati. During our conversation, I took the opportunity to inquire about the lessons we can learn from Israel and how we can foster a thriving startup culture in Hong Kong, similar to what Israel has achieved. I gained valuable insights from his responses. Heartfelt thank to Mr. Lati for his sharing.

Here are the three key takeaways from our discussion:

1. Early cultivation of a startup mindset through STEM education is crucial, not only for young children but also for their parents. Besides traditional professions like doctors, accountants, and engineers, there are exciting career paths available for the younger generation in the world of startups.

2. Attracting great startups to Hong Kong requires more than just promotional efforts. We need to provide compelling reasons for startups to choose Hong Kong, such as market potential, strategic partnerships, and other favorable conditions. By creating these incentives, we can attract high-quality startups to our city.

3. Hong Kong continues to serve as an excellent gateway to mainland China. Given the vastness of the Chinese market, foreign startups are often more familiar with Hong Kong and its business environment. We should embrace our role as a superconnector, bridging the gap between Israel and mainland China, and facilitating collaboration between the two.

We’re delighted to have joined forces with our PolyU DBA friends for this enlightening dinner. I extend my gratitude to Dr. Rajeev Chib and Prof. L Lam for organizing this event. It was a pleasure to reconnect with my fellow CityU DBA friends and have the opportunity to meet new acquaintances from PolyU DBA.

I am confident that our cross-university DBA collaboration (500+ DBA graduates as of today plus current students) will generate significant synergy, enabling us to bring about greater business and social impact in Hong Kong. I eagerly look forward to future collaborations with all of you as we progress on this journey.

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